The Evolution of Data Interchange Formats: XML, JSON, and CBOR

Summary

This article traces the evolution of data interchange formats from XML to JSON to CBOR, examining how each format addressed the limitations of its predecessor. XML brought structure and extensibility to data exchange but was verbose and complex. JSON emerged as a lighter, more JavaScript-friendly alternative that became the de facto standard for web APIs. CBOR (Concise Binary Object Representation) represents the latest step, offering a binary format that is extremely compact while maintaining JSON's data model, making it ideal for IoT devices and constrained environments. The article explores the trade-offs between human readability, parsing speed, schema support, and data size across these formats, and considers what future formats might look like.